


misunderstandings

by mjzawsum



Category: North and South - Elizabeth Gaskell | UK TV
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:33:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 1,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27910813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mjzawsum/pseuds/mjzawsum
Summary: modern setting, Margaret has to move to a small town (Milton) and meets an arrogant boy, will they get over their differences?
Relationships: Fanny Thornton/George Watson, Margaret Hale/Henry Lennox, Margaret Hale/John Thornton
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	1. the move

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing fan fiction :)

Chapter 1  
Margaret had just returned from spending a summer with her cousin/ best friend Edith, excited to see her parents and spend time with them before going back to boarding school. When she got home, she expected a happy welcome instead she came home to the house being packed up. “Dad what’s going on?”, she exclaimed. Her mother gruffly replied, didn’t you hear darling, your father quit his job due different opinions! “No dear I said that the school was changing their curriculum, so I found a new job”, he replied. Margaret knew to better than to get between them when they started to bicker, so she went to her room to read.  
A few hours later she was called down to dinner, where her father explained they were moving to Milton and she was going to attend Milton high, Margaret gracefully accepted her fate while her mother moaned and groaned. They spent the next few days packing and were on their way to Milton a dusty industrial town to her mother’s disgust. While her parents were unpacking Margaret went to stretch her legs and explore the town that was to become her new home for the next 2 years at least. She wasn’t looking where she was going when she bumped into something solid and fell on her butt, when she looked up, they just grunted, staring at the mill ahead and walked away, not even offering to help her up.


	2. me apologize?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> she meets her rude person

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments are welcome

Chapter 2  
Margaret returned home an hour later and was welcomed by her father, “ah my dear, it seems we have a visitor and he’s your age too”. When she saw who it was, she screamed “it’s you, the rude man who knocked me down”, he retorted “maybe you should have looked where you were going”. Oh, he infuriated her, “at least people in the south have manners unlike you northerners”, with that she left the room. He was the rudest boy she had ever met and wished to never see again, apparently fate had other plans.  
“Oh, you were terribly rude to john this afternoon, he came to ask if I could tutor him as he doesn’t have the time to study at home, poor guy” remarked her father, to which Margaret replied with by rolling her eyes, he just met this guy and he’s choosing him over his own daughter! She had been patient through the whole move and now he expected her to be nice to this, this jerk, now that was asking way too much. Instead of making a scene she decided to grab her paints and find some nice scenery, “I was rude! he was the rude one if you ask me!” she yelled as she set up her easel.


	3. why him

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> they meet again

Chapter 3  
“Often talk to yourself”, john said as he startled her making her mess up her stroke, “only when I’m the only one talking sense” she exclaimed, accusing him of not being a gentleman for sneaking up on her. “I came to apologize for my behavior today and for not helping you up as you see I was late to help my mother at the mill”, he softly said as he bowed and kissed her hand, making her blush and apologize as well. They laughed and talked as she painted the mountains in the distance, she was starting to realize that he was a hardworking man and deserved another chance and that she could grow to like him, as she blushed at the thought. Well, those were the thoughts until he was an arrogant prick again saying that she could not walk home alone while he could, what year did he think it was! 1854!  
The next few weeks passed peacefully, and to Margaret’s dismay school had begun, she was the new girl, yay? Why did her father do this to her? She could be listening to Edith gossip while they figured out what classes they shared, oh well let’s get this day over and done with. She got her schedule from the office and of course the first person she bumps into, literally bumped into, had to be him, John Thornton, the bane of her existence. “we need to stop meeting like this” he laughed, earning him a glare, “believe me it’s not intentionally done”, she snapped, not letting him finish his next sentence and walked away. Why did he bring out the worse in her, she wondered as he was having similar thoughts, would she always misunderstand him?


	4. meeting the family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this was going to be a long first day of school

Chapter 4  
Her first lesson was English and guess who had to sit next to her, yes him again! Worse of all the teacher added it to the seating plan but that was not the worse part, they had to pair up for a presentation and she was stuck with John Thornton. She was stuck in her thoughts until she realized, he was staring at her “Can I help you?” she remarked, “As I was saying when do you want to start working on the project?” he snapped. Margaret felt a bit embarrassed for snapping at him, but she couldn’t let that show and roughly told him at hers this afternoon. If she were game to look back at him, she would have noticed him smiling giddily.   
School had ended for the day when it daunted on her that she agreed to meet with him this afternoon and groaned inwardly. As she was about to walk home, john offered her a lift, she wanted to refuse when his mother told them to both hurry up and get in, so she accepted his offer only because his mother scared her. “My name is Hannah Thornton, but you can call me Mrs Thornton”, she barked, causing John to shake his head and blush a little while Margaret just nodded. Margaret was also introduced to Fanny his younger sister who loved to gossip and talk, this was going to be a long ride home, they both thought, and they both were right.


	5. let the trouble begin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> will they ever be able to agree on a topic

Chapter 5  
The afternoon became more embarrassing as Mrs Thornton insisted on coming in and meeting her parents, her father introduced himself. “You must be John’s mother, I’m Richard and my wife Marie is indisposed at the moment, but she would have loved to of met you”, at this Mrs Thornton humphed thinking unlikely. Mrs Thornton told John she would pick him up in an hour as he had jobs to do, Margaret led him to her bedroom and shut the door as he had a look around trying to figure out her likes and interest then cursed himself for being silly while Margaret assumed, he was judging her. She cleared the books off her desk to make room as John remarked “bit of a reader, are you? she replied, “It’s better than reality sometime”, and resumed clearing the desk.

Margaret wanted to work on the mistreatment of workers while John wanted to work on the hardships of the bosses creating a huge argument. “How can you say that when there are so many bosses enjoying luxurious holidays while a “lowly worker” is struggling to get by, hoping daily that they still have a job!” She exclaimed, “it’s not my fault that most of them drink their money away while the economy is getting tighter!” he argued back. Did this man always have to be insufferable, arguing with everything she said like she didn’t know what she was talking about! “fine I’ll research my topic while you research you and let the best man or woman win”, she snapped, finally they agreed on something. She was grateful when it was time for him to leave while he was frustrated that every time they spoke it turned into an argument.


	6. the dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Margaret's conscience is at work while John's past is revealed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kind of angsty

Chapter 6  
How was she going to survive this assignment, he was going to be the death of her! When Margaret fell asleep she had the strangest dream, it was a nice sunny morning, and she was walking to the church in her wedding dress which was pleasant so far as this was her dream wedding. Everything was normal until when she got to the priest, it was John’s face she saw as the priest pronounced them man and wife, as he was about to kiss her, she woke up with a scream. “Thank god, it was just a dream,” she thought as she checked the time, it was 2 am, “looks like I’m not getting any sleep,” she groaned, scared to see that atrocity again. So she decided to work on her research instead, she’ll show him who’s topic is better.

The next day, John was waiting by her locker, wanting to apologize for losing his temper “why does she have that affect on me?” he thought as she turned up, just as he opened his mouth to apologize instead he said, “well someone didn’t sleep last night, dream about me?” Rewarding him with a glare as she walked away but he was sure that he also saw her blush or was it the lights, probably the lights. He just wanted her to understand his side, he saw his father day after day slave away for the mill, he gave his workers everything they needed and was an understanding boss. One day due to a worker’s negligence of throwing a lit cigarette into the cotton, the factory burned, taking his father and 2 other workers with it. John and his mother have been trying to rebuild the factory since and John has vowed he’ll never let a negligent worker ruin his family again. If only he could get her to understand.


	7. feelings and reminiscing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> why can't everything be simple as her life use to be

Chapter 7  
She knew she had to face him sooner or later while she preferred later but English was first up, so she decided to act civil as it was the mature thing to do and as she hated to admit it, he was kind of her only friend here, well the only person she really knew. Moments like these made her realize how much she missed her cousin, wondering what she was doing now, if she was thinking about her as well. She was so deep in thought that she didn’t hear the teacher call her name, luckily John saved her by answering the question, “thank you John but I believed I asked Margaret”, replied the teacher before returning to his lesson. I gave him a small smile to say thanks, could I see john as my friend? Maybe if he wasn’t so confusing, he’s nice one minute then the next he’s just argh! Why can’t life just be simple like it used to be!

John’s heart fluttered when Margaret smiled at him, the teacher’s scorn was worth it, wait since when did Margaret have that effect on him, how is she breaking down his wall? His mother isn’t going to like it, but he is going to invite Margaret as his date to the annual Mill’s ball, he thought as he was imagining her hand in his. By the time he snapped out of his musings Margaret was gone, so was everyone else, oh well he’d be seeing her this afternoon for their study date, he meant session which reminded of her naive opinions about worker’s rights returning him to his brooding state of mind. Soon as Fanny got in the car after school, she had to open her mouth, “mama you wouldn’t guess what I heard”, usually they ignored her but this time his mother bit, “John defended Margaret to a teacher today, Mr Bell wasn’t happy about it”. This earned John a look from his mother, “mother that’s not what happened at all, Mr bell asked Margaret a question and I answered it for her, that’s all” he defended. Her scowl, became tighter as she informed him that, that Margaret girl was trouble and to be careful, this was going to be a awkward afternoon.


End file.
